A charming giant

It is a remarkable transformation of a huge and formerly austere building. At 12 storeys high, it towers above all the other buildings on Värnhemstorget and acts as a point of reference. Yet, the building still blends into the urban bustle of Malmö’s most important transport hub.
 
The aim was to give the giant a friendlier outward appearance to counter-balance its immense size. Before renovation, the building was still somewhat reminiscent of former Eastern prefab building architecture: concrete surfaces and bricks created a red and grey pattern; on the first floor, floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the surroundings while above them almost square window openings were lined up in a repetitive sequence. The renovation of the façade relaxed the overall aesthetic and relieved the monotony of the windows.

“We renovated with care and preserved the architectural qualities of the original building. Therefore, we opted for colours and textures that reflect its former look yet fit into the surrounding environment”, says Frej Josefsson, CEO of Morneon Fasad AB. Before making a final selection, the architects created several test walls in different tile combinations. They finally chose a combination of two Argeton façade tiles in salmon and pastel red. “Argeton is an exciting façade material with many possibilities thanks to project-specific special glazes”, says Josefsson.
 
The selected ceramic tiles – Tampa and Lineo – were designed and produced with a precision in the range of a tenth of a millimetre using special moulds. They were combined to lend structure to the façade. Horizontal lines indicate the storey levels and vertical lines extend over the entire height of the building. This pattern recalls the design of the façade before renovation. 

The entire building was renovated within 18 months: the roof was refurbished, the existing façade was demolished down to the frame and additional insulation was installed. New, larger windows were installed in the façade and clad with the glazed Argeton façade tiles. Since its renovation, passers-by have begun to praise the look of the spartan residential building.
 
“It’s nice to get positive feedback. Especially for a building like this, which is almost absurdly large compared to its surroundings”, says Frej Josefsson. The Favör building – popularly named after the Scandinavian retail chain “Favör” – has become a charming sentinel watching over the square.